- Title: Bogota prison riot over coronavirus kills nearly two dozen
- Date: 22nd March 2020
- Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (MARCH 22, 2020) (REUTERS) FAMILY MEMBERS OF PRISONERS PUSHING BARRIERS AND CLASHING WITH POLICE NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF LA MODELO PRISON WOMAN CRYING, ASKING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HER FAMILY MEMBER SMOKE SEEN RISING FROM INSIDE PRISON FAMILY MEMBERS CLASHING WITH POLICE FAMILY MEMBER CRYING FAMILY MEMBERS ASKING FOR OTHERS TO REMAIN CALM FAMILY MEMBERS NEAR POLICE IN RIOT GEAR (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FAMILY MEMBER OF PRISONER, BRENDA TRIANA, SAYING: "Yesterday we found out there had been a riot and there are deaths. They already took out a person who died from a falling tile and they didn't even realise. They didn't want to give us information about anything. They are our family members, they aren't dogs, they hit them, they're killing them, there are injured, there are more than 50 dead in there and nobody is helping them." SIGN INSIDE PRISON READING (Spanish) "THERE ARE MORE THAN 30 DEAD" FAMILY MEMBER CRYING POLICE OFFICERS OUTSIDE JAIL EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ON JAIL ROOF (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FAMILY MEMBER OF PRISONER, RUTH SANTA, SAYING: "It's terrible here. I have a son that's inside and they told me that he had been shot. I need to know how my son is, how everyone is inside, because there's not just one family member, there are many that need to know how the people inside are." SECURITY PERSONNEL AT PRISON ENTRANCE RIOT POLICE AT ENTRANCE PERSON PROVIDING INFORMATION TO FAMILY MEMBERS SECURITY PERSONNEL AT ENTRANCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, CARLOS MEDINA, SAYING: "Above all, given the health crisis that we're going through this is very worrying. But, we understand the anguish of these people. We're trying to calm them down and trying to get information flowing precisely for that reason." VARIOUS OF SECURITY PERSONNEL IN FRONT OF PRISON
- Embargoed: 5th April 2020 18:20
- Keywords: Colombia coronavirus dead disease injured inmates killed prison prisoners riot
- Location: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- City: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- Country: Colombia
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001C64W407
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A prison riot in Colombia's capital Bogota late on Saturday (March 21) left 23 prisoners dead and 83 injured, the justice minister said on Sunday (March 22), as detainees protested sanitary conditions amid the global outbreak of coronavirus.
Irate family members gathered outside the La Modelo prison and clashed with security personnel as they demanded answers on the state of their loved ones inside.
Justice Minister Margarita Cabello said in an address on government television that 32 injured prisoners were hospitalised, while seven prison guards were also injured with two guards in critical condition.
The Andean country will enter a nationwide lockdown to stem coronavirus infections from Tuesday (March 24) night. So far 231 people have been confirmed to be infected with the disease and two have died.
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